?Chapter 196:


    Elsewhere, Sandra couldn’t hide her delight. She scrolled through trending posts with a smile that didn’t go away. Lounging on the couch, she waved Jarrod over the moment he stepped inside. She practically shoved the screen in his face.


    “You have to see this! Your sister’s a star. That One More Day performance? Out of this world.”


    Still taking off his shoes, Jarrod blinked at the screen. His brow furrowed the second he recognized the video.


    “Wait, Mom… who do you think that is?”


    “Rosanna, of course!” Sandra beamed, pride shining through. “You really need to stop living under a rock! Even I know more about what’s going on. Your sister’s trending everywhere! This might be the moment that saves our whole family!”


    She let out a full, unfilteredugh. “I even told your dad to block off his calendar. We’re all heading to the show to cheer her on. Front row and loud as ever!”


    Meanwhile, up in his room, Jarrod sat in stunned silence.


    The truth hit him hard — Rosanna was pretending to be Maia. Grabbing his phone, he dove into her Twitter feed, examining every caption, photo, andment with sharp eyes.


    After scrolling for a few minutes, he noticed something — Rosanna had never explicitly said that she was the masked singer. That gave him a bit offort. It was just theizens’ guess, and Rosanna wasn’t to me.


    Still, a question popped into his head out of nowhere. “Wait — when exactly did she even go to Starlight Bar?”


    His expression darkened. Without hesitating, he walked straight to her door and gave it a firm knock.


    When Rosanna opened it, Jarrod was already standing stiff, a hard edge to his gaze. Skipping any sort of greeting, he got to the point. “When did you go to Starlight Bar?”


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    In his eyes, she had always been above that kind of scene. She was the textbook definition of innocence. Quiet. Proper. A girl who wouldn’t dream of stepping into a bar.


    Looking up at him with soft eyes and a hint of wounded innocence, Rosanna replied gently, “It was just a ssmate’s birthday party. Everyone was invited. I didn’t think it would matter… Are you mad that I went? I swear I won’t do it again if it bothers you.”


    Her answer tugged at something in him. His stern look began to melt into concern.


    Jarrod’s expression eased. “That’s not it. I just worry about you. Bars like that aren’t safe. Next time you want to go somewhere like that, let mee along. I’ll make sure you’re okay.”


    A sweet smile spread across her lips, her wordsced with affection. “I knew you’d protect me. You always do.”


    Once the conversation ended on aforting note, Rosanna closed the door gently behind her. But once alone, her expression shifted—just slightly. A sly curve pulled at her mouth. She had already crafted the perfect excuse before posting those pictures. Everything was falling neatly into ce.


    At that very moment, over at Starlight Bar, Jack stared at the viral videos with wide eyes, his stomach twisted in regret. The singer had been right there, and he’d let her walk away without even getting a name. He could’ve signed her. Now, he’d missed his chance.


    Business was booming at Starlight Bar like never before. Crowds poured in nightly, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious masked singer. Reporters, vloggers, and influencers packed the ce, turning it into a circus—but Jack wasn’t fooled. He knew hype this loud never stuck around for long.


    Despite the noise, Starlight stuck to its rules. Customer privacy was sacred. And Jack? All he really knew was that the singer had some connection to Pattie. Her actual name remained a mystery.


    Yet one thing was clear in his mind—Rosanna wasn’t the one behind the mask, no matter how loud the rumors grew.


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